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Many young African footballers believe there is only one road to professional football.
A famous academy.
A powerful agent.
A move directly to England, Spain or Germany.
But football doesn't always work like that.
Fashion Sakala's journey shows another way.
He was born in Chipata and raised in Kawele, a village in eastern Zambia.
There was no Premier League academy waiting for him.
His journey had to be built step by step.
YOUR BEGINNING DOESN'T DECIDE YOUR ENDING
Sakala started his senior career in Zambia.
First Nchanga Rangers.
Then Zanaco.
In 2016, he helped Zanaco win the Zambian championship.
For a young player dreaming about Europe, Zambia can feel incredibly far away from the biggest stadiums in the world.
But where you start doesn't determine where you finish.
What matters is whether you keep moving forward.
YOUR FIRST STEP INTO EUROPE DOESN'T NEED TO BE GLAMOROUS
In 2017, Sakala received his European opportunity.
But he didn't immediately start playing Champions League football.
He joined Spartak Moscow and spent his playing time with Spartak-2 in Russia's second division.
He played 35 league matches there and scored 10 goals.
Think about that.
His first real European step was not Manchester United.
Not Real Madrid.
Not Bayern Munich.
It was a reserve team playing in the Russian second tier.
Many young players make a huge mistake here.
They want their first European move to look impressive.
Sometimes it doesn't need to look impressive.
It needs to move your career forward.
DON'T BE ASHAMED OF THE SMALL STEP
After Russia came another step.
KV Oostende in Belgium.
Again, not one of Europe's biggest clubs.
But it gave Sakala something incredibly valuable.
Football.
Minutes.
Experience.
Development.
He spent three seasons there, scoring 24 goals in 80 Belgian league appearances.
The small steps were becoming bigger.
Zambia.
Russia's second division.
Belgium.
Then came Rangers.
THE WORLD EVENTUALLY NOTICES RESULTS
In 2021, Sakala joined Rangers.
Now the boy who had started his career thousands of kilometres away in Zambia was playing for one of Scotland's biggest clubs.
He would play 91 matches and score 24 goals for Rangers across competitions, win the Scottish Cup and be part of the team that reached the UEFA Europa League final.
Look at the journey again.
Nchanga Rangers.
Zanaco.
Spartak-2.
Oostende.
Rangers.
There was no magical jump.
There was a ladder.
And Sakala kept climbing it.
STOP SEARCHING ONLY FOR THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY
This is especially important for players from Africa, South America and other regions far away from football's richest leagues.
Your first opportunity may not be your dream opportunity.
Take development seriously.
Take playing time seriously.
Take smaller leagues seriously.
A small club where you actually play can sometimes do much more for your career than a famous club where nobody knows your name.
MAKE PEOPLE ASK: WHO IS THIS PLAYER?
You cannot control where you were born.
You cannot control how wealthy your family is.
You cannot control whether scouts regularly visit your league.
But you can control what happens when you receive an opportunity.
Your fitness.
Your discipline.
Your attitude.
Your development.
Your performances.
Your preparation.
Make every step create the next one.
NEVER CONFUSE YOUR CURRENT LEVEL WITH YOUR POTENTIAL
If you are currently playing for a tiny club, don't be embarrassed.
If your stadium is small, don't be embarrassed.
If your league isn't famous, don't be embarrassed.
Use it.
Dominate.
Develop.
Collect matches.
Become better.
Then search for the next realistic step.
You don't need to reach the top tomorrow.
You need to move forward.
FINAL MESSAGE
Fashion Sakala's journey carries a powerful lesson for every unknown player.
You don't need to start at the top.
You need to start climbing.
Maybe today you play in a small African club.
Maybe you play in a lower European league.
Maybe nobody outside your town knows your name.
That is your current situation.
It is not your final destination.
Don't wait for Manchester United.
Don't wait for Real Madrid.
Don't reject a good opportunity because the club isn't famous enough.
Find the next step.
Take it.
Prove yourself.
Then take another.
Because sometimes the road to the biggest stadiums begins on a pitch almost nobody is watching.
SUPPORT FOR PLAYERS
For 6 years, we have been helping less-known players completely for free — guiding them, giving honest feedback, and creating real football opportunities. During this time, we have completed over 25 player transfers to clubs across Europe.
If you value our work and want to help us continue supporting players worldwide, you can support us here:
https://suppi.pl/footballtalentstube77
Every supporter will have the chance to speak personally with me.
I will check your level, give you real feedback, and guide you individually.
The most determined players receive invitations for official trials.
Your first club doesn't have to be big.
Your first opportunity doesn't have to be perfect.
It only needs to become the first step toward something bigger.
